Fabricio Diaz is set to sign for Qatar Stars League side Al-Gharafa from Liverpool Montevideo of the Uruguayan Primera Division.
The 20 year-old will join for a fee just short of £5 million after the deal was agreed a couple of days ago and he landed in Doha over the weekend.
The La Paz-born Uruguayan midfielder began his professional career with the aforementioned Liverpool in 2020, after spending four years as a youth team player following his move from La Paz Wanderers in his hometown.
He has played 122 times in his club career so far for Liverpool, scoring five goals from a defensive midfield position. During his time in the Uruguayan capital city, he won the Supercopa Uruguaya.
Internationally, Diaz is yet to make his first-team debut but did feature 32 times for the Uruguayan under-20 side and was a key part of the side that recently won the FIFA U20 World Cup in Argentina over the summer. He was also a member of the team that finished as runners’ up in the 2023 South American U20 Championship.
Diaz is a name with a burgeoning reputation as both Brighton and Hove Albion and Barcelona were heavily linked with a move for him over the summer.
Reports even went as far as to suggest that Brighton were set to sign him, as well as Boca Juniors’ Argentinian left-back Valentin Barco, in a double swoop.
Instead he will move to Qatar and join an Al-Gharafa side that, coached by former Olympiacos manager Pedro Martins, finished sixth in the QSL last season.
Teammates of Diaz will include defender Lyanco, on loan from Southampton, as well as Tunisia midfielder Ferjani Sassi and Algeria’s Yacine Brahimi, formerly of Porto.
The Qatar Stars League transfer deadline is 18th September and Diaz will likely be the standout name to arrive in the gulf state.
